1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to communication apparatuses, and more particularly to headsets and booms adapted for use with or in headsets.
2. Description of Related Art
Traditional headsets have employed a design in which a microphone is extended from a boom and positioned close to a sound source, such as a user""s mouth, in an attempt to achieve sound reception clarity. By positioning the microphone in this manner, effective noise cancellation, which distinguishes between sound waves from a desired sound source versus background noise, may more easily be accomplished than if the microphone were positioned at a greater distance from the sound source.
To achieve noise cancellation, two sound ports are used, with one port facing the sound source and a second port facing away from the sound source. A number of issued patents show prior art relating to noise cancellation.
Increasing proximity of the microphone to the sound source, however, has required increasing or extending the length of the boom, which can lead to an increase the overall weight of the boom. This added weight can be undesirable from a user comfort perspective. In addition, opaque coverings for booms have traditionally been required so as to conceal the aesthetically unpleasant wires and connections between the microphone and earpiece.
Wind and background noise interfere with the proper operation of traditional microphones. To keep wind and background noise from interfering with microphone operation, traditional headsets have used a fabric or foam material as a windsock to filter or reduce some of the noise. This material may not satisfy the aesthetic desires of the user and may not achieve all desired acoustic properties.
Some form of in-use indication has also been a desired feature in headsets. A method for accomplishing this indication is to place a small light source or LED near the end of the boom. This placement can lead to a crowded area if the microphone is also housed in or near the end of the boom. The LED also adds to the overall weight of the boom.
Manufacturing costs for a boom increases with increasing complexity of the boom. Traditional booms are manufactured by placing the microphone and/or LED near the end of the boom. This placement complicates the manufacturing process because more manufacturing steps are required to properly house the microphone and LED.
Therefore, what is desired is a boom and microphone for a headset that has improved acoustic, weight, manufacturing cost and/or aesthetic properties.
In an aspect of the invention, an improved communication apparatus is disclosed. The communication apparatus includes a voice tube having a first entry aperture, a light tube, and a noise reducer. The noise reducer is composed at least partially of a porous plastic material and partially or fully covers the voice tube, the noise canceling tube, and/or the light tube. In a further aspect of the invention, the communication apparatus is a boom adapted for use in a headset.
In another aspect of the invention, the communication apparatus includes a noise canceling tube having a second entry aperture. The second entry aperture may be staggered in relation to the first entry aperture to achieve desired noise cancellation properties.
In another aspect of the invention, the light tube is adapted to transmit light from an online indicator light source.
In a further aspect of the invention, the porous plastic material includes a thinned, concave area that points toward the light tube so as to increase exposure to the transmitted light. In one embodiment, the porous plastic material includes between about 30 percent and about 50 percent void volume.
The porous plastic material may include one or more localized acoustic dampening areas. The localized acoustic dampening areas may be thickened to achieve increased acoustic dampening properties or thinned to achieve decreased acoustic dampening properties. In an embodiment, the porous plastic material includes two localized acoustic dampening areas, each of which is thinned to between about 2 mm and about 3 mm.
As is evident, these are merely examples of various implementations, and numerous other variations of these implementations may also be employed. These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be presented in more detail in the following detailed description and the accompanying figures that illustrate by way of example the principles of embodiments of the invention.